JP2001257170A - Deposition method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a deposition method that can obtain excellent in-plane film thickness distribution or the like. SOLUTION: This deposition method has a heater 7, a reaction pipe body 20, and a gas-heating pipe 40. A reaction gas branches right and left in a pipe 45, flows in pipes 46 and 47 at a lower side, turns back for flowing in pipes 48 and 49 at an upper side, and flows into a pipe 50. Also, the reaction gas is subjected to preparatory heating in this manner, is supplied into the reaction pipe body 20 via gas-leading ports 60 that are horizontally arranged in a line, and is heated by the gas heating pipe 40 in advance for introducing into the reaction pipe body 20. In addition, the reaction gas is allowed to flow so that the flow becomes laminar flow on the surface of a semiconductor wafer 90, thus improving the in-plane uniformity of a film deposited on the semiconductor wafer 90.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a film forming method,
In particular, the present invention relates to a film forming method using a substrate processing apparatus for performing processing such as film forming on a semiconductor wafer in a single wafer type or in a small number.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a reaction tube used in this type of substrate processing apparatus has the following structure. FIG. 15 is a plan view for explaining a reaction tube used in a conventional substrate processing apparatus.

The substrate processing apparatus 200 includes a heater 70
And a reaction tube 80 provided in the heater 70. The reaction tube 80 includes a reaction tube main body 81 and a reaction gas introduction tube 8.
5 and a reaction tube flange 83. Reaction tube body 8
A reaction gas inlet 82 is provided at a central portion on the upstream side of 1. A reaction gas introduction pipe 85 is provided in communication with the inside of the reaction tube main body 81 via the reaction gas introduction port 82.
A reaction tube flange 83 is provided on the downstream side of the reaction tube main body 81.
4 are provided. While the semiconductor wafer 90 is held in the reaction tube main body 81, the semiconductor wafer 90 is heated by the heater 70, and a reaction gas is introduced into the reaction tube main body 81 from the reaction gas introduction port 82 to react through the wafer transfer port 84 of the reaction tube flange 83. By discharging the gas, processing such as film formation of the semiconductor substrate 90 is performed.

[0004]

However, in the reaction tube 80 having such a conventional structure, the reaction gas is introduced into the reaction tube 80 without being sufficiently heated. Side temperature drops,
There is a problem that the film thickness formed on the semiconductor wafer 90 becomes uneven.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide a film forming method capable of performing a uniform film forming process such as obtaining a good distribution of the formed film thickness.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there are provided a heating means, a reaction tube main body provided in the heating means, and a gas introduction portion which is separated by a predetermined distance in a predetermined first direction. A reaction vessel main body having an exhaust portion, and a substrate holder installed in the reaction tube main body, wherein a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between the gas introduction portion and the gas exhaust portion is provided. And a substrate holder capable of holding the substrate to be processed in a state substantially parallel to the first plane including the direction of the substrate. A film formation method is provided, wherein a film is formed on the substrate to be processed by flowing a laminar gas flow on the surface of the substrate to be processed.

Preferably, a plurality of gas introduction ports are provided in the gas introduction section, and the plurality of gas introduction ports have substantially the same height as the substrate to be processed when the substrate to be processed is held by the substrate holder. And arranged so as to be in a line in parallel with the surface of the substrate to be processed.

More preferably, the plurality of gas inlets are arranged substantially symmetrically in the second direction with respect to a predetermined center line in the first direction.

Further, according to the present invention, there are provided a heating means, a reaction tube main body provided in the heating means, and a first gas introducing portion which is separated by a predetermined distance in a predetermined first direction; And a substrate holder installed in the reaction tube main body, wherein the substrate holding member is provided in the reaction tube main body between the first gas introduction unit and the gas exhaust unit. The processing substrate may include a first surface including a main surface of the substrate to be processed including the first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
The substrate holder that can be held in a state substantially parallel to the plane of, a gas heating pipe provided in the heating means,
The gas heating pipe is disposed along the reaction tube main body, and has a second gas introduction section and a gas derivation section, wherein the gas derivation section communicates with the first gas introduction section of the reaction tube main body, Has a structure in which the gas flowing first flows from the first gas introduction portion side to the gas exhaust portion side and then turns back to flow from the gas exhaust portion side to the first gas introduction portion side. And a gas heating tube.

In this case, the gas preheated by the gas heating tube is introduced into the reaction tube main body. Therefore,
The cooling of the upstream side of the substrate to be processed by the gas is suppressed, and the uniformity of the temperature distribution in the surface of the substrate to be processed is improved. As a result, the in-plane thickness of the film formed on the substrate to be processed is uniform. In particular, the uniformity of the film thickness in the gas flow direction is improved.
Further, depending on the type of gas, the gas can be sufficiently decomposed in the gas heating means, and as a result, the film quality is improved. Further, since the gas heating tube is provided along the reaction tube main body, the size of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced. Furthermore, since the gas heating tube has a folded structure, the length of the region where the gas heating tube is provided along the reaction tube main body can be shortened, and the reaction tube main body is not hindered by the gas heating tube. The area in which the inside of the reaction tube main body can be observed through the passage increases.

Preferably, the reaction tube main body has a structure which is substantially symmetrical in the second direction with respect to a predetermined center line in the first direction, and the substrate holder is aligned with the center line. On the other hand, the substrate has a substantially symmetrical structure in the second direction and can hold the substrate to be processed substantially symmetrically in the second direction with respect to the center line. It has a substantially symmetrical structure in the second direction with respect to the center line.

By adopting such a symmetrical structure, it is possible to maintain the right and left temperature balance and to make the flow rate of the gas introduced into the reaction tube main body equal to the left and right. As a result, the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness formed on the substrate to be processed, in particular, the film thickness uniformity in the horizontal direction with respect to the gas flow direction is improved.

Preferably, the reaction tube main body has a first side plate substantially perpendicular to the first direction, a ceiling plate and a bottom plate substantially parallel to the first plane, Second and third side plates substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first plane, wherein the first gas introduction portion is provided with the first gas introduction portion.
The gas heating pipe is provided along any one or more of the ceiling plate, the bottom plate, the second side plate, and the third side plate, and the gas heating tube is provided on the side plate. First, the gas flowing in the gas heating pipe flows almost linearly from the first gas introduction unit side to the gas exhaust unit side, and then turns back to return the first gas from the gas exhaust unit side.
Has a structure that flows almost linearly toward the gas introduction portion side.

[0014] Preferably, the reaction tube main body has a first side plate substantially perpendicular to the first direction, a ceiling plate and a bottom plate substantially parallel to the first plane, Second and third side plates substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first plane, wherein the first gas introduction portion is provided with the first gas introduction portion.
And the gas heating pipe is disposed along one or both of the second side plate and the third side plate.

By arranging the gas heating tube along the side plate of the reaction tube main body as described above, it is possible to prevent the height of the substrate processing apparatus from being increased, and to reduce the temperature distribution in the plane of the substrate to be processed. It is easy to make them uniform. On the other hand, if the gas heating tube is arranged along the ceiling plate and bottom plate of the reaction tube body,
The height of the substrate processing apparatus increases accordingly. In order to process a large number of substrates with a small occupied floor area, stacking a plurality of reaction tube bodies vertically is considered to be an effective method.In this case, gas heating tubes are installed on the ceiling plate or bottom plate of the reaction tube body. In this case, the number of reaction tube bodies that can be stacked vertically decreases by that amount, and the number of substrates to be processed per unit occupied floor area decreases.

Further, when the gas heating tube is arranged along the ceiling plate or the bottom plate of the reaction tube main body, since the ceiling plate and the bottom plate are provided in parallel with the main surface of the substrate to be processed, the gas heating tube is provided. Unless the tubes are arranged uniformly along the ceiling plate or the bottom plate of the reaction tube body, it is difficult to make the temperature distribution in the plane of the substrate to be processed uniform. Further, such a structure in which the gas heating tubes are uniformly arranged along the ceiling plate and the bottom plate of the reaction tube main body is difficult to manufacture, and causes an increase in cost.

Preferably, the gas heating tube is provided along the first side plate, the second side plate, and the third side plate.

[0018] Preferably, the gas heating pipe is configured such that the gas flowing in the gas heating pipe flows from the first gas introduction section toward the gas exhaust section toward the second side plate and the third gas heating section. Then, the gas flows along the side plates, then turns back, flows again along the second side plate and the third side plate from the gas exhaust unit side toward the first gas introduction unit side, and thereafter, the first Has a structure that flows along the side plate.

[0019] Preferably, the gas heating pipe is arranged so that a gas flowing in the gas heating pipe firstly extends along the first side plate from a substantially central portion of the first side plate in the second direction. 2 flows toward the second side plate and the third side plate, and then flows from the first gas introduction unit side to the gas exhaust unit side.
And then turn back and flow again along the second side plate and the third side plate from the gas exhaust unit side toward the first gas introduction unit side, respectively, and then It has a structure that flows along one side plate.

[0020] Preferably, the gas heating pipe is provided in a first direction provided in the first direction along the second side plate.
And a second tube, third and fourth tubes disposed in the first direction along the third side plate, and disposed in the second direction along the first side plate. And a gas introduction tube, wherein the gas introduction tube communicates with one end of the first tube and one end of the third tube, and the other end of the first tube. Portion communicates with one end of the second tube, the other end of the third tube communicates with one end of the fourth tube, and the other end of the second tube communicates with the fifth tube. Communicates with one end of the tube,
The other end of the fourth tube communicates with the other end of the fifth tube, and the fifth tube has the gas outlet that communicates with the first gas inlet.

[0021] Preferably, the gas heating pipe is arranged in a sixth direction provided in the second direction along the first side plate.
The gas introduction pipe is further connected to the one end of the first pipe and the one end of the third pipe via the sixth pipe.

Preferably, the gas heating pipe extends from the first gas introduction unit side to the gas exhaust unit side, and is located at a position closer to the gas exhaust unit side than the end of the substrate to be processed. It has a structure that is folded back on the front side and extends from the gas exhaust unit side toward the first gas introduction unit side.

With this configuration, a part of the substrate to be processed and a part of the substrate holder can be observed through the reaction tube main body in a region where the gas heating tube is not provided. Teaching can be easily performed for the step of mounting the substrate on the substrate and the step of removing the substrate to be processed from the substrate holder.

Preferably, the gas heating pipe extends from the first gas introduction section toward the gas exhaust section, and is located near or before the center of the substrate to be processed. And has a structure extending from the gas exhaust unit side toward the first gas introduction unit side.

With this arrangement, more than half of the substrate to be processed and more than half of the substrate mounting portion of the substrate holder can be observed through the reaction tube main body in the region where the gas heating tube is not provided. Teaching for the process of mounting the processing substrate on the substrate holder and the process of removing the substrate to be processed from the substrate holder can be performed more easily and reliably.

Preferably, the reaction tube main body includes a first side plate substantially perpendicular to the first direction, a ceiling plate and a bottom plate substantially parallel to the first plane, Second and third side plates substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first plane, wherein the first gas introduction portion is provided with the first gas introduction portion.
And the gas heating tube is disposed along both the second side plate and the third side plate.

By arranging the gas heating tubes along both the second side plate and the third side plate in this way, the substrate to be processed can be observed over the entire surface via the ceiling plate or the bottom plate, and the substrate holder Of the substrate to be processed can be observed over substantially the entire surface, so that the front, rear, left and right teaching in the first plane direction for the step of mounting the substrate to be processed on the substrate holder and the step of removing the substrate to be processed from the substrate holder is easy. And can be performed reliably. As described above, the front, rear, left and right teaching in the first plane direction can be performed by observing through the ceiling plate or the bottom plate. Therefore, the teaching through the second side plate or the third side plate can be performed in the up and down direction. It does not need to be observable over the entire substrate to be processed,
It becomes possible if part of it can be observed. At this time, if more than half of the substrate to be processed and more than half of the substrate mounting part of the substrate holder can be observed, teaching for the process of mounting the substrate to be processed on the substrate holder and the process of removing the substrate to be processed from the substrate holder is performed. Can be performed more easily and reliably.

Preferably, the reaction tube main body includes a first side plate substantially perpendicular to the first direction, a ceiling plate and a bottom plate substantially parallel to the first plane, Second and third side plates substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first plane, wherein the first gas introduction portion is provided with the first gas introduction portion.
A plurality of gas guides provided on the side plate of the gas heater, the gas outlets of the gas heating pipes being provided along the first side plate, and the gas outlets provided substantially parallel to the second direction. Has an outlet.

Thus, by providing a plurality of gas outlets in parallel with the main surface of the substrate to be processed, the gas is introduced in a shower shape, and the gas flow on the main surface of the substrate to be processed is laminar. As a result, the film thickness uniformity is improved.

Preferably, the reaction tube main body has a structure substantially bilaterally symmetrical in the second direction with respect to a predetermined center line in the first direction, and the substrate holder is provided with the center. The gas heating tube has a structure substantially symmetrical in the second direction with respect to a line, and can hold the substrate to be processed substantially symmetrical in the second direction with respect to the center line. Has a substantially symmetrical structure in the second direction with respect to the center line, and the plurality of gas outlets are substantially symmetrical in the second direction with respect to the center line. It is arranged in.

By adopting such a symmetrical structure, the temperature balance between the left and right sides can be maintained, and the flow velocity of the gas introduced into the reaction tube main body can be made equal between the left and right sides. As a result, the in-plane film thickness uniformity of the film formed on the substrate to be processed, particularly, the film thickness uniformity in the left-right direction with respect to the gas flow direction is improved.

Preferably, the plurality of gas outlets are located near a first corner formed by the first side plate and the second side plate, and the first side plate and the third side plate are provided. And is arranged to the vicinity of the second corner formed by the above.

As described above, by arranging the gas outlets near both corners of the first side plate of the reaction tube main body, the turbulent flow area of the gas introduced into the reaction tube main body can be reduced. In addition, the gas flow can be made laminar, and the gas replacement efficiency can be improved.

Preferably, the first gas introduction portion of the reaction tube main body has an opening provided in the first side plate and exposing the plurality of gas outlets. are doing.

Preferably, the reaction tube main body has a first side plate substantially perpendicular to the first direction, a ceiling plate and a bottom plate substantially parallel to the first plane, Second and third side plates substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first plane, wherein the first gas introduction portion is provided with the first gas introduction portion.
, And the first gas introduction portion has a plurality of gas introduction ports provided substantially parallel to the second direction on the first side plate.

As described above, by providing a plurality of gas inlets in parallel with the main surface of the substrate to be processed, the gas is introduced in a shower shape, and the gas flow on the main surface of the substrate to be processed becomes laminar. As a result, the film thickness uniformity is improved.

Preferably, the reaction tube main body has a structure which is substantially symmetrical in the second direction with respect to a predetermined center line in the first direction, and the substrate holder is provided with the center. The gas heating tube has a structure substantially symmetrical in the second direction with respect to a line, and can hold the substrate to be processed substantially symmetrical in the second direction with respect to the center line. Has a substantially symmetrical structure in the second direction with respect to the center line, and the plurality of gas introduction ports are substantially symmetrical in the second direction with respect to the center line. It is arranged in.

By adopting such a symmetrical structure, it is possible to maintain the temperature balance between the left and right sides, and it is also possible to equalize the flow rate of the gas introduced into the reaction tube main body. As a result, the in-plane film thickness uniformity of the film formed on the substrate to be processed, particularly, the film thickness uniformity in the left-right direction with respect to the gas flow direction is improved.

[0039] Preferably, the plurality of gas inlets are located near a first corner formed by the first side plate and the second side plate, and the first side plate and the third side plate are located near the first corner. And is arranged to the vicinity of the second corner formed by the above.

As described above, by disposing the gas inlets near both corners of the first side plate of the reaction tube main body, the turbulent flow area of the gas introduced into the reaction tube main body can be reduced. In addition, the gas flow can be made laminar, and the gas replacement efficiency can be improved.

Preferably, the reaction tube main body is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and the reaction tube main body includes a first side plate substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and a ceiling plate substantially parallel to the first plane. And a bottom plate, second and third side plates substantially parallel to the first direction and substantially perpendicular to the first plane, and substantially perpendicular to the first direction on a side opposite to the first side plate. And a fourth side plate provided on the first side plate, wherein the first gas introduction unit is provided on the first side plate, and the gas exhaust unit is provided on the fourth side plate.

Preferably, the gas heating tube is fixed to the reaction tube main body.

Preferably, the substrate processing apparatus is a hot wall type substrate processing apparatus.

In such a hot-wall type substrate processing apparatus, since the entire reaction tube main body is maintained at a predetermined temperature, the degree of freedom in arranging the gas heating tube increases.

Preferably, the main body of the reaction tube is 1
The reaction tube main body has a structure in which one or a small number of the substrates to be processed are held. More preferably, one or two substrates to be processed are held in the reaction tube main body.

Preferably, the substrate to be processed is a semiconductor wafer.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a hot-wall type substrate processing apparatus, comprising a heating means and a reaction tube main body provided in the heating means, wherein a predetermined distance is provided in a predetermined first direction. A first gas introduction unit and a gas exhaust unit that are separated from each other, and a first side plate that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction and has the first gas introduction unit;
A ceiling plate and a bottom plate substantially parallel to a first plane including the first direction and a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and a first plate substantially parallel to the first direction and The reaction tube main body having second and third side plates substantially perpendicular to a plane, and a substrate holder installed in the reaction tube main body, wherein the first gas introduction unit and the gas exhaust unit A substrate holder capable of holding a substrate to be processed in a state where a main surface of the substrate to be processed is substantially parallel to the first plane, and provided in the heating means. A gas heating pipe disposed along one or both of the second side plate and the third side plate;
And a gas heating section that communicates with the first gas introduction section of the reaction tube body. Is done.

If the gas heating tube is provided as described above, the gas preheated by the gas heating tube is introduced into the reaction tube main body. Accordingly, the cooling of the upstream side of the substrate to be processed by the gas is suppressed, and the uniformity of the temperature distribution in the surface of the substrate to be processed is improved. As a result, the in-plane film of the film formed on the substrate to be processed is formed. The thickness uniformity, especially the film thickness uniformity in the gas flow direction is improved. Further, depending on the type of gas, the gas can be sufficiently decomposed in the gas heating means, and as a result, the film quality is improved. Further, since the gas heating tube is provided along the reaction tube main body, the size of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced.

Further, in such a hot wall type substrate processing apparatus, since the entire reaction tube main body is kept at a predetermined temperature, the gas heating tube is connected to the second side plate and the third side plate. Even if it is arranged along one or both of them, it becomes possible to sufficiently perform preheating. And
By arranging the gas heating pipe along one or both of the second side plate and the third side plate, the height of the substrate processing apparatus is suppressed from increasing, and It is easy to make the temperature distribution in the plane uniform. In addition, the substrate to be processed can be observed over the entire surface via the ceiling plate or the bottom plate, and the substrate mounting portion of the substrate holder can be observed over almost the entire surface. The front, rear, left, and right teaching in the first plane direction for the step of taking out the substrate from the substrate holder can be performed easily and reliably. Since teaching via the second side plate or the third side plate only needs to be performed in the vertical direction, it is only necessary to observe a part of the substrate to be processed. Therefore, even if the gas heating tube is disposed along one or both of the second side plate and the third side plate, teaching can be easily performed.

Preferably, the gas heating tube is also provided along the first side plate.

Preferably, the heating means is provided facing at least one of the ceiling plate and the bottom plate. Since the gas heating pipe is disposed along one or both of the second side plate and the third side plate of the reaction tube main body, the heating means is provided on the ceiling plate or the bottom plate of the reaction tube main body in this way. When the substrate is provided facing at least one side, it is not blocked by the gas heating tube, so that the uniformity of the in-plane temperature distribution of the substrate to be processed is improved.

[0052]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view for explaining a substrate processing apparatus used in a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. X2-X
3 is a partially enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X4-X4 in FIG. 3, and FIG.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line X5-X5 in FIG. 3, and FIGS.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining a reaction tube used in the substrate processing apparatus used in the first embodiment of the present invention.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 is a single-wafer-type substrate processing apparatus, and includes a heater 70, a reaction tube 10 provided in the heater 70, and a heat insulating material 72. Heater 70
The reaction tube 10 is covered with a heat insulating material 72 on the upper, lower, left and right sides thereof, and has a so-called hot wall type structure. The reaction tube 10 includes a reaction tube main body 20 and a gas heating tube 40.
And a reaction tube flange 26. Reaction tube body 20
Inside, a wafer mounting plate 120 is provided. A space 124 having a diameter larger than the diameter of the Si semiconductor wafer 90 is formed in the wafer mounting plate 120, and the three wafer supporting claws 1 are formed in the space 124.
A projection 22 is provided. The reaction tube main body 20 and the gas heating tube 40 are made of quartz.

The reaction tube main body 20 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes a ceiling plate 21, a bottom plate 22, side plates 23 and 24,
25. The ceiling plate 21 and the bottom plate 22 are parallel to each other, and the side plates 23 and 24 are parallel to each other. The side plate 25 includes a ceiling plate 21, a bottom plate 22, a side plate 23,
At right angles to 4. The wafer mounting plate 120 is provided in the reaction tube main body 20 in parallel with the ceiling plate 21 and the bottom plate 22. One Si semiconductor wafer 90 is provided in a space 124 supported by a wafer supporting claw 122 of a wafer mounting plate 120. The surface of the Si semiconductor wafer 90 and the upper surface of the wafer mounting plate 120 are in the same plane. Si semiconductor wafer 90 is held in parallel with ceiling plate 21 and bottom plate 22.

The side plate 25 is provided with a horizontally long rectangular opening 28 in a position substantially at the same height as the semiconductor wafer 90 in parallel with the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90. The opening 28 is provided from near the corner 31 between the side plates 25 and 24 to near the corner 32 between the side plates 25 and 23.
A reaction tube flange 26 is provided on the side opposite to the side plate 25 and downstream of the reaction tube body 20, and the reaction tube flange 26 is provided with a wafer transfer port 27. The wafer transfer port 27 has a rectangular shape, and its size is substantially the same as the opening of the cross section of the reaction tube main body 20 in a direction perpendicular to the gas flow direction.

The gas heating tube 40 has a lower gas heating tube 42 and an upper gas heating tube 43. Lower gas heating tube 4
2 comprises substantially straight tubes 45, 46, 47. The upper gas heating tube 43 includes substantially straight tubes 48, 49, and 50. The tubes 45 and 50 are provided parallel to the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90 along the outside of the side plate 25, and the tubes 46 and 48 are provided parallel to the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90 along the outside of the side plate 23. Cage, tube 47
The tube 49 is provided parallel to the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90 along the outside of the side plate 24.

One end of a pipe 44 communicates with the center of the pipe 45, and the other end of the pipe 44 serves as a gas supply port 41. One end of the tube 45 communicates with one end of the tube 46, the other end of the tube 46 communicates with one end of the tube 48, and the other end of the tube 48 communicates with one end of the tube 50. The other end of the tube 45 communicates with one end of the tube 47, the other end of the tube 47 communicates with one end of the tube 49, and the other end of the tube 49 communicates with the other end of the tube 50.

A plurality of gas outlets 60 are provided in the pipe 50 at a position substantially at the same height as the semiconductor wafer 90 and in a row in parallel with the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90. The plurality of gas outlets 60 are provided at the corners 31 of the side plate 25 and the side plate 24.
It is provided from the vicinity to the vicinity of the corner 32 of the side plate 25 and the side plate 23. The opening 28 provided in the side plate 25 is provided with the pipe 5
The plurality of gas outlets 60 provided on the side plate 25 are all exposed, and the plurality of gas outlets 60 communicate with the openings 28 provided on the side plate 25.

The reaction tube body 20, the gas heating tube 40, the reaction tube flange 26, the wafer transfer plate 120, the semiconductor wafer 90, the tube 44, the opening 28, the plurality of gas outlets 6
0 and the wafer transfer port 27 all have a symmetrical structure.

The gas heating tube 40 is connected to the reaction tube main body 20.
Welded to.

While holding one semiconductor wafer 90 in the reaction tube main body 20, a reaction gas is supplied from the gas supply port 41 while being heated by the heater 70, and the semiconductor wafer 90 is heated.
And the like.

The reaction gas supplied from the gas supply port 41 is supplied to the central portion of the pipe 45 through the pipe 44, and then branches right and left in the pipe 45 to form a lower symmetrically provided lower side. Flow into tubes 46 and 47 respectively,
After flowing through the pipes 6 and 47 respectively, the pipes are turned back and flow into the upper pipes 48 and 49 provided symmetrically to the left and right, respectively.
8 and 49, respectively, flow into both ends of the tube 50, and then through the gas outlets 60 provided in the tube 50 in a row and the opening 28 provided in the side plate 25, the reaction tube main body. 20 is introduced. The reacted gas is exhausted after passing through the wafer transfer port 27 of the flange 26.

In this embodiment, the reaction gas is supplied into the reaction tube main body 20 after passing through the gas heating tube 40 heated by the heater 70. Therefore, the reaction gas is heated in advance by the gas heating tube 40 and the reaction tube main body 2 is heated.
Introduced in 0. As a result, the cooling of the upstream side of the semiconductor wafer 90 by the reaction gas is suppressed, and the uniformity of the temperature distribution in the plane of the semiconductor wafer 90 is improved.
The in-plane uniformity of the film thickness formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90, particularly the uniformity of the film thickness in the flow direction of the reaction gas, is improved. Further, depending on the type of gas, the reaction gas can be sufficiently decomposed in the gas heating tube 40, and as a result, the film quality is improved.

Since the gas heating tube 40 is provided along the side plates 23, 24, 25 of the reaction tube main body 20, the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be downsized.

The reaction tube main body 20, the gas heating tube 40, the reaction tube flange 26, the wafer transfer plate 120, the semiconductor wafer 90, the tube 44, the opening 28, the plurality of gas outlets 6
0 have a symmetrical structure, so that it is possible to maintain a temperature balance between the left and right,
It is also possible to make the flow rate of the reactant gas introduced into the chamber uniform in the right and left directions. As a result, the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness of the film formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90, particularly with respect to the gas flow direction Thus, the film thickness uniformity in the left-right direction is improved.

The tube 50 is provided with a plurality of gas outlets 60 in a row in parallel with the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90, and the side plate 25 has openings 28 that expose the plurality of gas outlets 60. Is provided, the reaction gas is introduced in the form of a shower, and the flow of the reaction gas on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90 becomes a laminar flow to improve the uniformity of the film thickness. On the other hand, in the conventional reaction tube 80 shown in FIG. 15, since there is only one gas inlet 82, the gas flow on the semiconductor wafer 90 does not become laminar. The resulting film thickness becomes uneven.

The plurality of gas outlets 60 are
Since it is provided from near the corner 31 of the side plate 25 and the side plate 24 to near the corner 32 of the side plate 25 and the side plate 23, it is possible to reduce the turbulent flow region of the reaction gas introduced into the reaction tube main body 20, As a result, the gas flow can be made laminar, and the gas replacement efficiency can be improved.

Further, in such a hot-wall type substrate processing apparatus, since the entire reaction tube main body 20 is maintained at a predetermined temperature, the gas heating tube 40 is connected to the side plate 23.
Even if they are arranged along 24 and 25, it is possible to sufficiently perform preheating. Then, the gas heating tube 40 is connected to the side plates 23, 2
4 and 25, the ceiling plate 21 and the bottom plate 22
Is not provided, the heater 70 provided on the ceiling plate 21 and the bottom plate 22 of the reaction tube main body 20 is not blocked by the gas heating tube 40, and as a result, the semiconductor wafer 90 Of the in-plane temperature distribution is improved.

When the gas heating tube 40 is disposed along the side plates 23, 24, 25 of the reaction tube main body 20 as described above,
The height of the substrate processing apparatus 100 is suppressed from increasing, and the temperature distribution in the plane of the semiconductor wafer 90 can be easily made uniform. On the other hand, the gas heating pipe 4
If 0 is arranged along the ceiling plate 21 and the bottom plate 22 of the reaction tube main body 20, the height of the substrate processing apparatus 100 will increase accordingly. Large number of semiconductor wafers 9 with small occupied floor space
It is considered effective to stack a plurality of the reaction tube bodies 20 in order to treat 0, but in this case, the gas heating tubes 40 are arranged along the ceiling plate 21 and the bottom plate 22 of the reaction tube body 20. If provided, the number of the reaction tube main bodies 20 that can be stacked vertically is reduced by that amount, and the number of semiconductor wafers 90 per unit occupied floor area is reduced.

When the gas heating tube 40 is arranged along the ceiling plate 21 and the bottom plate 22 of the reaction tube main body 20, the ceiling plate 21 and the bottom plate 22 are provided in parallel with the main surface of the semiconductor wafer 90. Therefore, it is difficult to make the temperature distribution in the plane of the semiconductor wafer 90 uniform unless the gas heating tubes 40 are arranged uniformly along the ceiling plate 21 and the bottom plate 22 of the reaction tube main body 20. Also, as described above, the gas heating pipe 4
In the case of a structure in which 0 is uniformly arranged along the ceiling plate 21 and the bottom plate 22 of the reaction tube main body 20, it is difficult to manufacture such a structure, and the cost is increased. On the other hand, the gas heating pipe 4
By disposing 0 along the side plates 23, 24, 25 of the reaction tube main body 20, the temperature distribution in the plane of the semiconductor wafer 90 can be easily made uniform with a simple structure.

In this embodiment, considering that the amount of gas branched to the left and right gas heating pipes is not always equal, the left and right gas heating pipes are used to reduce the difference between the left and right gas heating pipes. The tubes are joined at the end point. Further, in order not to disturb the temperature distribution in the vicinity of the semiconductor wafer 90, the gas heating pipes 40 are arranged at locations separated on both sides of the semiconductor wafer.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view for explaining a substrate processing apparatus used in a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. -X2
FIG. 8 to FIG. 10 are diagrams for explaining a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X9-X9 of FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X10-X10 of FIG.

In the first embodiment described above, a plurality of gas outlets 60 are provided in the tube 50 of the gas heating tube 40, and the side plate 25 of the reaction tube main body 20 has openings through which the plurality of gas outlets 60 are exposed. Although the portion 28 is provided, in the present embodiment, a plurality of gas inlets 128 are formed in the side plate 25 of the reaction tube main body 20 at a position substantially at the same height as the semiconductor wafer 90 and in a row in parallel with the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90. The present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the tube 50 is provided with a horizontally long opening 160 communicating with the plurality of gas inlets 128, but the other points are the same.

Also in this embodiment, the reaction gas is supplied into the reaction tube main body 20 after passing through the gas heating tube 40 heated by the heater 70. Therefore, the reaction gas is heated in advance by the gas heating tube 40 and the reaction tube main body 2 is heated.
Introduced in 0. As a result, the cooling of the upstream side of the semiconductor wafer 90 by the reaction gas is suppressed, and the uniformity of the temperature distribution in the plane of the semiconductor wafer 90 is improved.
The in-plane uniformity of the thickness of the film formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90, particularly the uniformity of the thickness in the flow direction of the reaction gas, is improved. Further, depending on the type of gas, the reaction gas can be sufficiently decomposed in the gas heating tube 40, and as a result, the film quality is improved.

Since the gas heating tube 40 is provided along the side plates 23, 24, 25 of the reaction tube main body 20, the size of the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be reduced.

The plurality of gas inlets 128 are
It is provided from near the corner 31 of the side plate 24 and the side plate 25 to near the corner 32 of the side plate 23 and the side plate 25. Further, the reaction tube main body 20, the gas heating tube 40, the reaction tube flange 26,
The wafer mounting plate 120, the semiconductor wafer 90, the tube 44, the opening 160, the plurality of gas inlets 128, and the wafer transfer port 27 all have a symmetrical structure.

The reaction tube body 20, the gas heating tube 40, the reaction tube flange 26, the wafer mounting plate 120, the semiconductor wafer 90, the tube 44, the opening 160, and the plurality of gas inlets 128 all have a symmetrical structure. As a result, the temperature balance between the left and right sides can be maintained, and the flow rate of the reaction gas introduced into the reaction tube main body 20 can be equalized on the left and right sides. As a result, the reaction gas can be formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90. The in-plane uniformity of the film thickness to be formed, particularly, the film thickness uniformity in the horizontal direction with respect to the gas flow direction is improved.

The side plate 25 has a semiconductor wafer 90
A plurality of gas inlets 128 are provided in a row in parallel with the surface of the tube, and an opening 160 communicating with the plurality of gas inlets 128 is provided in the pipe 50. The flow of the reactant gas introduced on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90 becomes a laminar flow, and the uniformity of the film thickness is improved.

The plurality of gas inlets 128
Are located near the corner 31 between the side plate 25 and the side plate 24.
Is provided up to the vicinity of the corner portion 32 between the
The turbulence region of the reaction gas introduced into the reaction tube main body 20 can be reduced, and as a result, the gas flow can be made laminar and the gas replacement efficiency can be improved.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining a substrate processing apparatus used in a third embodiment of the present invention, in which a semiconductor wafer is mounted on a wafer mounting plate. FIG. 12 is a diagram of the state, and FIG.
FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 12-X12, showing a state before the semiconductor wafer is mounted on the wafer mounting plate. FIGS. 13 and 14 show a substrate processing apparatus used in the third embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view for explaining the reaction tube used.

In the above-described first embodiment, the gas heating tube 40 is extended by extending the tip 401 of the gas heating tube 40 near the reaction tube flange 26 beyond the semiconductor wafer 90 or the wafer mounting plate 120. Side plate 2 of pipe body 20
In the present embodiment, the gas heating tube 40 is folded back on the near side of the center of the semiconductor wafer 90 so as to be folded along the side plates 23 and 24 of the reaction tube main body 20. The points provided are different from those in the first embodiment, but the other points are the same.

The semiconductor wafer 90 is mounted on the tweezers 130, carried into the reaction tube main body 20, mounted on the wafer supporting claws 122 of the wafer mounting plate 120, and provided in the space 124. Further, the semiconductor wafer 90 mounted on the wafer mounting plate 120 is mounted on the tweezers 130 and carried out of the reaction tube 10. At this time, teaching is performed to determine the position and operation range of the tweezers 130 for transporting the semiconductor wafer 90. At the time of teaching, the heat insulating material 72 and the heater 70 are removed. Then, the clearance in the front, rear, left and right is checked from above the reaction tube 10 via the ceiling plate 21. A check in the height direction is performed from the side of the reaction tube 10 via the side plates 23 and / or 24. As a check item in the height direction, when the tweezer 130 on which the semiconductor wafer 90 is mounted passes over the wafer mounting plate 120, the wafer transfer plate 12 is so arranged that the wafer mounting plate 120 and the semiconductor wafer 90 do not interfere with each other.
Checking the height to ensure a height of 0 and the tweezer 130
There is a vertical stroke when the semiconductor wafer 90 mounted on the wafer is lowered and mounted on the wafer transfer plate 120.

In this embodiment, when the reaction tube main body 20 is viewed from the side plate 23 or 24, the semiconductor wafer 90
Can be observed more than half, and the wafer mounting plate 12
0 can be observed from one end 121 to a region beyond the center of the space 124 where the semiconductor wafer 90 is provided. Therefore, the teaching can be easily performed because the semiconductor wafer 90 and the wafer transfer plate 120 can be sufficiently observed when performing the teaching.

In order to perform the above-described teaching, when the reaction tube main body 20 is viewed from the side plate 23 or 24, at least one end 121 of the wafer mounting plate 120 to one end 91 of the semiconductor wafer 90 is used. It is preferable to be able to observe, and when the reaction tube 10 is viewed from the side plate 23 or 24, at least half of the semiconductor wafer 90 can be observed, and the wafer mounting plate 120 also has a space 1 where the semiconductor wafer 90 is provided from one end 121 thereof.
It is more preferable that at least the central part of 24 can be observed. Therefore, the gas heating tube 40 is connected to the semiconductor wafer 90.
The reaction tube main body 2 is folded back in front of one end 91 of the reaction tube.
0 is preferably provided along the side plates 23 and 24, and further, the gas heating tube 40 is folded back near the center of the semiconductor wafer 90 or near the center of the semiconductor wafer 90 to be attached to the side plates 23 and 24 of the reaction tube main body 20. It is more preferable to provide along.

In this embodiment, the length of the gas heating tube 40 is shorter than that of the first embodiment. The length until reaching 52 is 240 mm or more, and the corner 5 through the tubes 47 and 49 from the center 451 of the tube 45
Since the length up to 1 is 240 mm or more,
The temperature of the reaction gas led out from the gas outlet 60 provided in the vicinity of the corners 52 (32) and 51 (31) is sufficiently high until the temperature in the reaction tube main body 20 becomes the same. Therefore, also in the present embodiment, the reaction gas is sufficiently heated in advance by the gas heating tube 40 and introduced into the reaction tube main body 20. As a result, the upstream side of the semiconductor wafer 90 is suppressed from being cooled by the reaction gas, the uniformity of the temperature distribution in the plane of the semiconductor wafer 90 is improved, and the thickness of the film formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90 is increased. , In particular, the film thickness uniformity in the flow direction of the reaction gas is improved. Further, depending on the type of gas, the reaction gas can be sufficiently decomposed in the gas heating tube 40, and as a result, the film quality is improved.

Further, since the gas heating tube 40 has a folded structure, the gas heating tube 40 is connected to the side plate 23 of the reaction tube main body 20 while ensuring a sufficient length of the reaction gas path flowing through the gas heating tube 40. The length of the region provided along 24 can be reduced. Therefore, the reaction gas can be sufficiently pre-heated by the gas heating tube 40, and the side plates 23, 2, 2 of the reaction tube main body 20 are not hindered by the gas heating tube 40.
The area in which the inside of the reaction tube main body 20 can be observed through 4 can be increased.

Further, since the gas heating pipes 40 are arranged along the side plates 23 and 24 and are not provided along the ceiling plate 21 and the bottom plate 22, the semiconductor wafer 90 is entirely formed via the ceiling plate 21 or the bottom plate 22. Since the space 124 of the wafer mounting plate 120 and the wafer supporting claws 122 can be observed over the entire surface, the process of mounting the semiconductor wafer 90 on the wafer mounting plate 120 and the removal of the semiconductor wafer 90 from the wafer mounting plate 120 are performed. Teaching in the front, rear, left, and right directions in the horizontal direction with respect to the process can be performed easily and reliably. In this way, the front, rear, left and right teaching in the horizontal direction can be performed by observing through the ceiling plate 21 or the bottom plate 22.
Teaching via the side plate 23 or 24 only needs to be performed in the vertical direction. For that purpose, it is not necessary to observe the entire semiconductor wafer 90, but it is possible to observe a part of the semiconductor wafer 90. At this time, if about half or more than half of the semiconductor wafer 90 and about half or more than half of the space 124 of the wafer mounting plate 120 can be observed as in the present embodiment, the semiconductor wafer 90 is mounted on the wafer mounting plate 120. Teaching for the process and the process of removing the semiconductor wafer 90 from the wafer mounting plate 120 can be performed more easily and reliably.

The gas heating tube 40 is connected to the side plate 2 of the reaction tube main body 20.
The gas heating tubes 40 are arranged along 3, 24, 25, and are welded to the reaction tube main body 20. A plurality of gas outlets 60 are formed in the pipe 50 at corners 31 (5) of the side plate 24 and the side plate 25.
1) From the vicinity, the corner 32 (52) of the side plate 23 and the side plate 25
It is provided in a line parallel to the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90 up to the vicinity. The side plate 25 has a plurality of these gas outlets 60.
There is provided an opening 28 communicating with the opening. Reaction tube body 2
0, gas heating tube 40, reaction tube flange 26, wafer mounting plate 120, semiconductor wafer 90, tube 44, opening 28, plural gas outlets 60 and wafer transfer port 2
7 have a symmetrical structure.

In the first and third embodiments, a plurality of gas outlets 60 are provided in the tube 50 of the gas heating tube 40, and the plurality of gas outlets are provided in the side plate 25 of the reaction tube main body 20. In the second embodiment, a plurality of gas inlets 128 are provided in the side plate 25 of the reaction tube main body 20, and the gas heating pipes are provided in the second embodiment. An opening 160 communicating with the plurality of gas inlets 128 is provided in the tube 50 of the gas heating tube 40.
A plurality of gas outlets are provided in a row at approximately the same height as that of the semiconductor wafer 90 in parallel with the surface of the semiconductor wafer 90, and the side plates 25 of the reaction tube main body 20 correspond to and communicate with these gas outlets, respectively. A plurality of gas inlets may be provided. Also in this case, the reaction tube main body 20 and the gas heating tube 4
0, reaction tube flange 26, wafer mounting plate 12
0, semiconductor wafer 90, tube 44, multiple gas outlets,
The plurality of gas inlets and the wafer outlet 27 are all symmetrical.

In the first to third embodiments,
Although a single-wafer-type substrate processing apparatus in which one semiconductor wafer 90 is held in the reaction tube body 20, the present invention holds a small number, preferably two, of the semiconductor wafers 90 in the reaction tube body 20. It can be preferably applied to a substrate processing apparatus to be performed.

As described above, by providing the gas heating means, a preheated gas is introduced into the reaction tube main body. Accordingly, the cooling of the upstream side of the substrate to be processed by the gas is suppressed, and the uniformity of the temperature distribution in the plane of the substrate to be processed is improved. As a result, the thickness of the film formed on the substrate to be processed is reduced. In-plane uniformity, in particular, film thickness uniformity in the gas flow direction is improved. Further, depending on the type of gas, the gas can be sufficiently decomposed in the gas heating means, and as a result, the film quality is improved.

Further, by disposing the gas heating tube along the reaction tube main body, the size of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced.

Further, by forming the gas heating tube into a folded structure, the length of the region where the gas heating tube is provided along the reaction tube main body can be shortened, and the reaction tube main body is not obstructed by that much. Thus, the area in which the inside of the reaction tube main body can be observed increases, and teaching or the like can be easily performed.

Further, in the hot wall type substrate processing apparatus, the gas heating tube is disposed along one or both of the second side plate and the third side plate, so that the gas heating tube can be sufficiently provided. Preheating can be performed, the height of the substrate processing apparatus can be prevented from increasing, and the temperature distribution in the surface of the substrate to be processed can be easily made uniform. In addition, the substrate to be processed can be observed over the entire surface via the ceiling plate or the bottom plate, and the substrate mounting portion of the substrate holder can be observed over almost the entire surface. The front, rear, left and right teaching in the horizontal direction for the step of taking out the substrate from the substrate holder can be performed easily and reliably. Since teaching via the second side plate or the third side plate only needs to be performed in the up-down direction, the gas heating pipe is arranged along one or both of the second side plate and the third side plate. Even if they are arranged, teaching can be performed easily.

According to the present invention, a uniform film formation process can be performed, for example, a good film thickness distribution can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view for explaining a substrate processing apparatus used in first and second embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line X2-X2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line X4-X4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line X5-X5 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining a reaction tube used in the substrate processing apparatus used in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view for explaining a reaction tube used in the substrate processing apparatus used in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a reaction tube used in the substrate processing apparatus used in the second embodiment of the present invention.
It is the elements on larger scale of A section.

9 is a sectional view taken along line X9-X9 in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line X10-X10 in FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining a substrate processing apparatus used in a third embodiment of the present invention, in which a semiconductor wafer is mounted on a wafer mounting plate.

12 is a sectional view taken along line X12-X12 in FIG. 11, showing a state before the semiconductor wafer is mounted on a wafer mounting plate.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view for explaining a reaction tube used in the substrate processing apparatus used in the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view for explaining a reaction tube used in a substrate processing apparatus used in a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a plan view for explaining a reaction tube used in a conventional substrate processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Reaction tube 20 ... Reaction tube main body 21 ... Ceiling plate 22 ... Bottom plate 23, 24, 25 ... Side plate 26 ... Reaction tube flange 27 ... Wafer carrying port 28, 160 ... Opening 31, 32, 51, 52 ... Corner 40 ... gas heating pipe 41 ... gas supply port 42 ... lower gas heating pipe 43 ... upper gas heating pipe 44 to 50 ... pipe 60 ... gas outlet 70 ... heater 72 ... heat insulating material 90 ... Si semiconductor wafer 100 ... semiconductor manufacturing equipment 120 ... wafer mounting plate 122 ... wafer support claws 128 ... gas inlet 130 ... tweezer

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A reaction tube main body provided in the heating unit, the reaction tube main body having a gas introduction part and a gas exhaust part separated by a predetermined distance in a predetermined first direction. A substrate holder installed in the reaction tube main body, wherein the first plane includes a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between the gas introduction unit and the gas exhaust unit. Using a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate holder capable of holding a substrate to be processed in a substantially parallel state, a gas having a laminar flow on the surface of the substrate to be processed in the first direction from the gas introduction unit. Forming a film on the substrate to be processed by flowing a flow. 2. A plurality of gas inlets are provided in the gas inlet, and the plurality of gas inlets are substantially at the same height as the substrate when the substrate is held by the substrate holder. 2. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is arranged in a line in parallel with the surface of the substrate to be processed. 3. The gas inlet according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of gas inlets are arranged substantially symmetrically in the second direction with respect to a predetermined center line in the first direction.
The film forming method according to the above.